Connections
by Jadee
Summary: A series of unrelated oneshots that reveals the many potential romances and relationships of the Teen Titans. Oneshot number four features the pairing Raven and Beast Boy.
1. Tabloids are Pointless : BBRae

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Teen Titans. What a shocker.

**A.N.** This fic, _Connections_, will be a set of oneshots with various pairings. Basically, these stories are some of my ideas that aren't quite complex enough to turn into fics on their own. The stories will be completely unrelated, and will run the whole gamut of topics, from fluffy nonsense to angst. The lengths of the oneshots will vary. This fic is rated T for now, but I'll be sure to let you all know if that changes. I hope you enjoy!

Oneshot number one, pairing BB/Rae, is entitled "Tabloids are Pointless"

"What is that?" Raven asked Beast Boy. The changeling was very slowly flipping through a magazine at the breakfast table. Starfire and Cyborg had already left the table, leaving Beast Boy, Raven, and Robin alone to finish their breakfasts in the Tower's large kitchen.

Beast Boy, apparently oblivious to the world, kept on eying his mysterious magazine, and if he heard Raven, he gave no physical indication of it. Beast Boy glanced across one of the magazine's glossy pages, and his eyes went wide as he smirked at what saw.

"Beast Boy," Robin loudly snapped, and Beast Boy visibly jumped in his seat, almost causing his chair to flip over.

"What?" Beast Boy whined, shutting his magazine unhappily and regarding his leader in annoyance.

"What are you reading?" Robin asked the changeling, obviously irked that the same question had to be asked twice.

"Oh, this?" Beast Boy said innocently, holding up the magazine he had just been reading like he was seeing it for the first time. "A tabloid," he answered casually.

"You know we have a policy on tabloids in the Tower, Beast Boy," Robin said incredulously, holding his empty coffee mug in his hands and peering into it wistfully as he spoke.

"Oh yeah," Beast Boy responded lamely, as if just remembering the long time rule. "Well, I bought it with my own money," he defended.

"Still, those things are a pointless waste of time, and they're filled with lies," Robin shot back. He stuck out a gloved hand, palm up. Sighing, Beast Boy handed over the forbidden tabloid. Robin scanned the front cover of the _JC_ _Insider Post_ with disdain. It consisted of a fuzzy picture of himself, the Boy Wonder, with his arm around Cyborg's shoulder. Bold red text on the upper left of the picture dramatically proclaimed, "Teen superheroes' gay love scandal revealed." Robin read this title out loud and growled in disgust. "You see? It's nothing but ridiculous lies."

Beast Boy was busy desperately fighting to suppress a laugh, and Raven rolled her eyes at them both. Robin sighed and rose from the table. He angrily slapped the magazine back into Beast Boy's hand and went to pour himself another cup of coffee. As he left the room with the steaming beverage, he turned and said in aggravation, "I want that thing out of the Tower, Beast Boy, and don't buy any others."

"Yes master," Beast Boy acquiesced with an exaggerated bow. Robin left the room with a scowl.

As soon as the door shut, Beast Boy refocused his attention to the table. "Can you believe him, Rae? He's getting so worked up about this stupid thing."

"He's right, you know," Raven said, stirring her mug of tea thoughtfully. "Nothing good ever comes from tabloids."

"Oh come on, Raven!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Aren't you ever curious what they say about the Titans?"

"No," Raven replied firmly.

"I know you are," Beast Boy shot back. "Just a little bit?"

Raven considered him carefully. "I've got better things to spend my time on," she finally answered, shaking her head.

Beast Boy scowled. He opened the _JC_ _Insider Post_, laid it down on the counter, and began to skim it again. Every few moments, he would laugh at some little article or picture that struck his fancy, which made it very difficult for Raven to concentrate on the paperback novel she was attempting to read.

Raven sighed silently to herself. Maybe she was just a _little_ bit curious about what the tabloid said. After all, she had never read one through, and rarely even glanced at their covers as she passed by newsstands in the city. She gathered that they were rather poorly crafted, filled with mostly Titan centric rumors and scandals, based on lying "witnesses" and crudely photo-shopped pictures. It never ceased to amaze her that people could actually buy these things and believe what they had to say. But still, it was slightly tempting to learn what ridiculous accusations the tabloids came up with, even if it _was_ sickening that some greedy people were willing to create those lies at the Titans' expense.

Beast Boy giggled suddenly, drawing Raven from her thoughts abruptly.

"Rae, look at this!" he said, still laughing crazily. He shoved a page in her face, which dramatically proclaimed, "Aqualad pregnant with Robin's lovechild." The picture that the magazine supplied as evidence was a very pixilated picture of Robin supporting a quite pregnant, dark haired woman as she crossed a street. The young woman's face was hidden by her long hair, and she was just slightly taller than Robin. Anyone who knew Aqualad would easily be able to tell that it wasn't him in the picture.

Raven was shocked. "No wonder Robin despises tabloids," she said with amusement.

"Yeah, I guess the editor really hates him for some reason," Beast Boy agreed. "These things always have a lot of stuff about Robin."

"How often do you read this nonsense?" Raven asked uneasily.

"The _Post_ is published weekly, and I know a guy at one of the newsstands that lets me have them cheap. I got this one today for a quarter," Beast Boy beamed, obviously proud of his accomplishment.

"I see," Raven replied. She swallowed the dregs of her tea with a final sip and went back to reading her novel, but again found it very difficult to concentrate. Raven kept glancing over her book every few moments to look at Beast Boy, grinning stupidly as he read his magazine. She smirked. _Some people are so easily amused,_ Raven thought to herself, shaking her head.

Minutes passed. Raven frowned. Curiosity was slowly getting the best of her, or at least it was keeping her from focusing on her book at all, but her pride was to great to break down and read the forbidden magazine. She shut her book with a snap and a thin, black tendril of energy placed her empty tea mug in the kitchen sink.

As she prepared to leave, therefore removing herself from the temptation of the tabloid, Raven glanced at Beast Boy once more. She was surprised to see that the grin on his face had quickly turned into an oddly contemplative stare, and he was blushing lightly, studying a page inquisitively.

"What are you reading about?" Raven questioned him, sitting down again on her chair across from him at the table. She squinted at the tabloid, trying to read the page heading upside down.

"Huh?" Beast Boy started, suddenly startled by her presence. "Oh, uhm, nothing," he assured her, and turned the page. His blush grew as he tried to focus on the next article, but he could distinctly feel Raven's incredulous stare on his face.

"You're blushing," Raven said with mild amusement, which only made the changeling blush more furiously.

Beast Boy gave no comment, pretending not to hear the empath.

"Let me see that," Raven commanded.

"What?" Beast Boy said, his voice cracking, "No, you're right, this stuff is nonsense," he quickly agreed, and shut the magazine, rolling it up in his hands.

"Give it to me," Raven said authoritatively.

"Uh, no," Beast Boy replied with unease, looking away and pulling on his collar.

Raven sighed. Black energy suddenly enveloped the magazine and it began to slide from Beast Boy's tight grasp. He yelped with surprise and jumped up from his chair, fighting to hold on to the rolled paper, which Raven found quite humorous. But, alas, Beast Boy's grip was slipping, and the magazine soon moved through the air and into Raven's waiting hand.

She set the magazine on the table, smoothed it out, and sent Beast Boy a glare, daring him to even attempt taking it back. Raven casually flipped through the pages, trying to find the one she had caught a glimpse of that made Beast Boy blush so fiercely.

Beast Boy still stood near his chair, staring awkwardly down at his suddenly very interesting shoes.

She knew that the background had been mostly black or dark blue… ah, this must be the one. Page 38. Raven scanned the page, and the breath caught in her throat as she realized what it was about. The picture offered had to be the only clear one in the whole damn magazine; there was no doubt that the people in the high quality shot were Beast Boy and her. The caption under the picture read, "Beast Boy and Raven of the Teen Titans desecrate Jump City church during wild night of passion."

Raven felt a blush creeping into her cheeks despite herself. The whole-page picture did, much to her horror, look quite incriminating.

Raven recalled when that picture must have been taken. The Titans had fought Plasmus near that church a few days ago. It had been a long fight, and near the end of it she had felt so exhausted that she didn't have the time or energy to dodge Plasmus' fist as it connected with her side, knocking the air out of her and sending her spiraling to the ground from three stories up. Raven remembered that Beast Boy was nearby and had seen her falling. He had leapt to catch her soon before she hit the stone ground, heroically twisting their bodies in the air as they fell so that he took the force of the fall with his back.

Apparently, Beast Boy had his hand placed on Raven's lower back as they landed, Raven on top of Beast Boy, and her cloak was partially covering them. Their hair was heavily mussed by Plasmus' goo and both teens looked incredibly disheveled. Raven remembered that they had quickly stood up and she had nodded her gratitude to Beast Boy, but neither of them had given the save a second thought as they continued to fight to subdue Plasmus.

However, some lucky paparazzi apparently had taken a picture at just the right time before the teens got up.

If Raven hadn't actually been there and knew what really happened, even she would have believed that the scandalous picture was bona fide. And now the entirety of Jump City might have this picture, and it was such an irrefutably well taken shot that it would probably soon begin popping up online and maybe even on television…

She continued to stare at the page, a look of pure horror on her face as she skimmed the article that went with the cruel picture. It was nothing but lies, of course, but it detailed the steamy "love affair" between the two Titans with almost gruesome detail.

Beast Boy coughed, and this time it was Raven who jumped in her seat. Her eyes snapped up to meet Beast Boy's. The teens wore identical worried expressions.

"Uhm, there isn't usually anything so… convincing in these things," Beast Boy offered awkwardly.

Raven shut the tabloid forcefully. Black energy then took the dastardly object from her hand and shredded it in midair, moving the mutilated magazine to its rightful place in the trash bin.

"Robin was right," Raven said at last, her usual monotone strained, "Tabloids are pointless."

Suddenly, Cyborg's muffled, but still quite loud guffawing rang from another room in the Tower. "Hey BB!" he yelled, "You gotta see what I found on the front page of the Titans' fan site!"

Beast Boy and Raven shared a look of utter mortification. Something told them that this picture was going to haunt them for quite some time.

**A.N.** Heh, well, this was quite a bit of fun to write. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Make sure you leave your comments! I'm happy to take pairing requests if you have any, so you can send those to me in a pm or in your review.

Thank you for reading. 


	2. Forever a Secret : RedXRae

Oneshot number two, pairing RedX/Rae, is entitled "Forever a Secret"

It was dark. Deliciously dark, the unique way only a room with black painted walls and an air of perpetual gloom can be during the dead of night. Raven was enjoying the silent sanctuary of her bedroom while she sat on her soft, circular bed, eyes closed and body relaxed. No, she was not meditating, but was simply relishing this rare time just to think, while her teammates slept soundly in nearby rooms and the city was quiet and safe.

The serene sorceress opened her amethyst-colored eyes, allowing them to take in her comfortingly familiar surroundings. Faint moonbeams filtered through her open window, giving off just enough of a glow to create a pale spotlight that illuminated a square on the carpet. And all around, almost completely hidden from sight were her possessions, representing her own past and the ancient arts she was so well known for. From her volumes upon volumes of priceless ancient tomes to her enchanting black porcelain theater masks, everything was in its place. Spotless, quiet.

Raven allowed herself to sigh, almost imperceptibly, drinking in this calm that came so rarely.

But as she sat, nearly nodding off, Raven could have sworn that she detected the slightest movement in the darkness from the far corner of her room. Perhaps it was simply some shadow shifting or a slight breeze that ruffled a paper on her desk, for save that nearly imperceptible motion, everything remained still as death itself.

Raven narrowed her eyes, searching into the blackness. She sat, not a muscle moving, as she silently waited. A minute passed slowly, and Raven allowed herself to relax again. Her eyes must have fooled her. She must be so unaccustomed to such absence of sound and life that her mind played a trick on her. Raven allowed her eyes to shut as she tilted her head back, her dark hair brushing the back of the cloak she still wore.

But as she breathed softly, Raven could have sworn that she heard the quiet, breeze-like swish of billowing silk. That swish was soon followed by a feather-light footfall. Then another, equally as quiet. The steps were nearly silent, but against the backdrop of absolute stillness they were quite obtrusive enough for Raven's practiced ear to catch. Raven instantly tensed for a fight against whoever this intruder may be.

A flash of red caught her eye as the trespasser stepped from the shadows into the column of moonlight near her window. A painted white skull took the place of the person's face, and he was dressed in a black bodysuit with a long, ebony cape covering his shoulders. The mysterious being was a young man, who stood tall and confident, muscles defined as the moonlight fell on his toned form.

"Long time no see, babe," the man said slyly, voice distorted.

She started at the sudden, abrasive sound of his words, but the peaceful feel of recognition soon replaced her shock. "You have to stop surprising me like that," Raven breathed, rising slowly to her feet as she recovered from being startled.

Red X chuckled lowly, and the unnatural sound sent shivers down the dark girl's spine. "I'm glad to see you too," Red X replied, extending a gloved hand to her. Raven took it tentatively and he pulled her to himself in one fluid motion, encircling her thin waist with a strong arm. Raven let herself stand there briefly, her ear to his chest, listening to X's quiet heartbeat.

Raven stepped back from the young man quickly. "I told you to stop visiting me like this," she chastised, crossing her arms under her chest as she spoke in a hushed voice.

"And I did," he replied coolly. "But do you expect me to stay away from you forever?"

"No," Raven answered.

"Good," X said with a nod, and Raven could feel his smile underneath his mask. "Because I can't stay away from you," he admitted, his voice slightly flirtatious.

Raven gave Red X a ghost of a smile, but it quickly fell from her face. "Well, you're not safe here," Raven warned him. "If you keep visiting me, you will be caught."

X waved away her advice. "I'd rather take that risk and keep seeing you."

Raven smirked in disdain. "Seeing me?" she lamented scornfully, "Breaking into Titans' Tower so we can talk for a moment before you run off again is hardly seeing me."

"As for breaking into the Tower, my dear, you left your window open. You were practically asking for someone to sneak in," Red X justified himself. "And as for my methods, this is the only way we can speak without me being caught. We live in different realities, my Raven. Good and evil, justice and crime. The world isn't ready to see us together."

Raven looked away from her companion. "I was foolish to even entertain the idea of beginning a relationship with a thief," Raven whispered with regret. "What we started a few months ago should never have been continued."

She could sense from the slight change in his stance that she had upset X, but his raspy, mechanical voice remained deceivingly steady. "But it was, and never regret it."

"How can I not?" Raven replied sadly, her eyes still diverted from his where his face should be. "As long as I live to stop crime and you live to start it, we can never be together."

"Why?" Red X questioned her, crossing his arms over his strong but slim chest.

Raven's eyes snapped back to meet his. "I can't keep putting my position as a Titan in danger. If we are caught, maybe you have nothing to lose, but I would lose everything I have."

"That's _if_ we ever got caught," he replied seriously. "Besides, you would never lose me."

Raven was silent.

"But enough of that subject," Red X said at last. "How is your team?"

Raven cast him a serious look. "Why would I divulge anything about my team to a criminal?" she asked in monotone, more to spite Red X than to seek a response.

X laughed again. "I promise not to use anything you tell me to hurt the Titans."

Raven sighed. "We are doing fine. Crime has been slow lately, so we've had plenty of time to train."

"How's Starfire?"

"As bubbly as ever."

"And bird boy?"

Raven was silent for a moment as she searched his mask, as if trying to see the man underneath. "Robin is fine as well," she replied vaguely.

Red X nodded nonchalantly. He glanced out the window, looking at the moon, which had moved enough in the sky so that only Raven was illuminated by its light. "I should leave," he said after a brief minute of comfortable silence.

"Promise you'll stop visiting me until it's safer," Raven ordered X, her voice pleading but still as steady as always.

"If that is what you want," he agreed at last. "Even if it will kill me inside to be apart from you," he said, placing a hand melodramatically over his heart.

Raven rolled her eyes and smirked.

Red X reached out his arm again and tenderly placed it on her shoulder, bringing Raven into the shadows with him. She succumbed to his touch and casually wrapped her arms about his back as X fingered the side of his mask.

"When will you trust me with your identity?" Raven whispered sadly, staring up at where his mask was just barely visible.

"When the time is right," Red X replied, voice still warped, and led her further into the darkness of her bedroom. Raven heard a clasp being released, and Red X's mask slid away in his hand. Raven could suddenly feel the heat of his breath on her face as he tilted her chin up, bringing their mouths together. Red X silently tasted her lips, savoring their comfortingly warm feeling. Raven relaxed into the familiarity of the forbidden embrace, the mysterious but familiar scent of this man's breath filling her lungs as they stood together.

Raven and Red X soon separated, both needing air but reluctant to break apart. As soon as she left his grasp, Red X quickly turned around and secured his mask.

He spun around again, and Raven couldn't help but sigh. His mask was so lifelessly blank; it was difficult to believe she had just kissed that creature, which had seemed so full of life just a moment ago.

Red X raised two fingers in a casual salute. "Good night, my Raven," he said, and moved towards the window with a soft swish from his cape. He leapt from the room gracefully, springing into the night air as though he was going to fly away.

Raven moved to her window as he left, staring out at the quiet city below, wondering how far away her secret lover already was.

She sighed scornfully as she shut the window and went to sit on her bed again.

"Robin," she whispered tiredly to herself, "Who do you think you're fooling?" she said in hopeless exasperation, shaking her head. Raven miserably rested her forehead in her hand and bit her bottom lip. "Do you think I can't recognize your attitude, your scent?"

Raven exhaled sadly. _How long will you keep up this charade, counting on the fact that I'll never suspect the truth?_ She thought bitterly. But Raven knew that as long as her "mysterious lover" continued his game, she would play along, because she loved the real man under the mask more than he would probably ever know.

**A.N.** Aha! A surprise ending. This was another fun little story to write, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Remember to review, and feel free to submit pairing requests!

Thank you for reading.


	3. It'll Get Better : JinxCy

**A.N.** People are always saying that Cyborg is an underappreciated character in the fan fiction world, and for legitimate reasons. He's quite difficult to write, and as the big brother-esque character, pairings are severely limited unless you get really creative. I decided to write a Cyborg centric piece simply to see if I could, and I'm rather happy with how this turned out.

Oneshot number three, pairing Jinx/Cyborg, is entitled "It'll Get Better"

Cyborg looked up at the old, plastic framed clock on the off-white wall and sighed. It was getting near the closing time of the diner he was occupying, and she still hadn't shown up.

He glanced down at his now cold cup of coffee and stirred it absentmindedly, really not at all interested in the beverage. He drummed his fingers on the edge of the slightly sticky table, eyes wandering across the menu a waitress had left at his table some forty minutes ago when he had arrived. Cyborg had the distinct feeling that the waitress - Flo, that's what her nametag read - was getting pretty annoyed that he continued to take up a whole booth and hadn't ordered anything more than a coffee, but Cyborg was not deterred.

After all, it wasn't often that he had the opportunity to get away from the Tower for the evening, and he was in no rush. He was getting less and less off time as he got older. There were constantly things to be done at Titans Tower, and since he was the oldest, it seemed that he always had the most responsibility. This was fine by him; Cyborg enjoyed taking care of his team like an older child would take care of his younger siblings. Still, his rare breaks were always valued.

Without thinking, Cyborg glanced down at the metal panel that served as a wristwatch on his right arm, doing a double take when he found it gone. His split second of confusion gave way to mild sheepishness as he remembered that he was wearing his hologram rings. Cyborg sighed. He probably would never get used to seeing his own dark skin again instead of shining metal. He would also probably never get used to wearing civilian clothing again. Cyborg currently wore a pair of black sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt. Since his metal body armor served as his clothing the vast majority of the time, he really didn't have much in the way of civvies.

It was after nine in the evening. The sleepy Garden Diner would be closing in less than an hour. Cyborg suppressed a yawn and glanced toward the door for the millionth time that evening. 'Maybe she's not going to show up,' he thought with a frown.

No sooner as the thought passed into his head, the bell over the glass door jangled noisily, alerting all twenty or so diner patrons that someone was entering the building. A rather petite female walked in, stamping snow off her black boots as she looked through dark sunglasses around the restaurant. She wore a heavy black coat with the hood pulled up, and her clothing was wet with snow. She almost immediately spotted Cyborg and waved to him casually as she made her way over to his table.

The girl slid into the opposite side of the booth from Cyborg, unzipping her coat upon sitting down. "Sorry I'm late," she said nonchalantly.

"Don't worry about it," Cyborg replied.

The girl pulled down her hood, revealing thick pink hair that was gathered in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. She removed her big, wet coat and did her best to ball it up, laying it on the seat beside her. Her sunglasses were removed next, and she laid them on the tabletop. Her large, slanted eyes were cotton candy pink, and she peered about the diner suspiciously, scanning for possible exits on habit.

"It's good to see you again, Jinx," Cyborg said warmly, and the girl's attention was refocused on the built, African American man sitting across from her.

Jinx allowed her hard expression to soften for a moment as she replied. "You too, Cy."

"You hungry?" Cyborg asked, moving the menu in her direction.

"Starved. I haven't eaten all day," she replied, scanning the simple laminated pages.

The only waitress in sight was making her rounds, and Cyborg waved her over.

"Can I get you something?" Flo the waitress asked in a bored voice, balancing a coffee pot on a tray while searching for a notepad and a pencil in her apron.

"I'll just have a hot chocolate, thanks," Jinx ordered.

The waitress nodded, grabbed the menu off their table, and sauntered off.

"That's all you're getting?" Cyborg commented. "I thought you were hungry."

Jinx smiled thinly. "Yeah, well, I'm a little short on cash."

"Food's on me," Cyborg insisted. He paused. "Things aren't going so great, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "You can say that again."

"You're still living with Wally, right?"

"For now."

"You don't sound very happy about that."

"You can't blame me," Jinx lamented. "We share a dingy three room apartment with no heat and a perpetually empty fridge. Besides, the speed demon's hardly ever there since I moved in."

Cyborg shook his head in sympathy. "I'm sure the Titans would be happy to put you up if you need another place to stay," he offered.

Jinx shook her head and sighed dolefully. "That would be way too awkward. I'd never fit in."

"As long as you're really changed, the team'll accept you."

"I appreciate the offer, Cy, really," she stated. "But I can make it on my own."

Cyborg looked at the thin girl incredulously. "You don't have a job or a decent place to live," he said. "We'd be happy to help you to your feet."

"I don't want to owe anyone anything," she insisted.

Cyborg shrugged. The waitress returned and set down Jinx's hot chocolate, which she immediately grabbed. He watched the girl in vague amusement as she wrapped her stiff fingers around the hot ceramic mug, savoring the warmth of the beverage as she sipped it slowly.

"Besides," Jinx said after she had downed almost all of her drink and felt a bit warmer and more awake, "No one said this would be easy, going from HIVE Five to goody two shoes."

"It'll take some time," Cyborg agreed. "But it's worth it."

"Is it?" Jinx replied miserably. "I graduated at the top of my class at the best villains' school in the country, and now I've been reduced to bumming on some hero's couch in a roach infested apartment. I've got to be the laughing stock of the HIVE."

"The HIVE knows where you live?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Jinx scoffed. "You insult the Academy. I'll bet they've been tracking me since I brought down Rouge a while back to save Kid Flash."

Cyborg swallowed. "Are you sure that you're safe?"

Jinx waved off his concern. "What do I have to lose?" she replied mirthlessly.

Cyborg watched her silently as she finished off her hot chocolate before speaking. "Do you regret switching sides?"

"Sometimes," she admitted at last. "It's really hard not to when you think of all I lost just to be a good guy." Jinx sighed. "I lead a freaking super-villain team, for God's sakes!" Her harsh expression fell suddenly and her voice was quiet. "And the HIVE was my home for so long, I sometimes feel homesick for it."

The man across from Jinx regarded her sadly. "I know what you mean. The HIVE was a real nice place."

Jinx's gaze locked with Cyborg's. "Yeah," she whispered sadly. "Real nice." Jinx scowled. "Until a certain somebody betrayed us which led to the destruction of the entire headquarters."

Cyborg raised his hands defensively. "You know I'm not thrilled about that either," he said quickly. He was silent for a moment. "I was happy at the HIVE, but it had to be done."

Jinx grinned suddenly. "Lots of memories there, huh?"

Cyborg nodded reminiscently.

"Remember your initiation?" Jinx asked.

He shuddered. "I'm trying to forget, thanks."

"How about all the pranks, and the classes, and… the dances," Jinx added teasingly.

"Yeah, I remember," Cyborg said, a bit uncomfortably.

"Say," Jinx said mischievously, "You took me to one of those dances, didn't you?"

"Um, yeah," Cyborg replied, not looking Jinx in the eye.

"That was fun," Jinx said with an innocent smile. "You were a pretty good kisser, _Stone_."

Cyborg was happy that the hologram kept Jinx from seeing him blush as he fought to look neutral. He took out a crumpled ten-dollar bill and laid it on the tabletop. "You ready to go?" he asked, dropping the uncomfortable subject.

Jinx smiled wickedly. "Fine, fine. Let's go." She grabbed her still wet coat and slid it on, shoving her sunglasses into a pocket.

The two teenagers left the diner and stepped into the cold air, the bell over the door jingling noisily as the door shut behind them.

"You want me to walk you home?" Cyborg offered.

Jinx shrugged. "You can if you want to. It's not too far."

"Let's go," he replied.

They started off in the direction of Jinx's apartment, their shoes crunching in the thin layer of snow on the sidewalks and sloshing through the slush near the roadways. For a few blocks, neither said a word, and the only sounds were the passing cars and the wind as it whipped through the city.

At last, it was Cyborg who broke the comfortable silence. "So what are you going to do now?"

Jinx knew what he was referring to. "I don't really know," she admitted. "I go out with Wally on patrol sometimes, but that doesn't really work out. The public sees me as a villainess, and I don't think they'll ever trust me as a hero." Jinx sighed. "I'll probably never make it as a hero around here, but I don't have the money or desire to move anyplace else."

"I feel you," Cyborg replied. "Don't you have any family you could go to?"

Jinx shot him a mildly annoyed look. "Let's make a long story short and say no," she answered.

Cyborg nodded, and they walked on in silence for a while longer. His next question took Jinx by surprise. "Are you happy?" he wondered.

Jinx stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at Cyborg, who towered over her by almost a foot. "Why in hell does that matter?" she asked.

"I just don't get why you decided to become a good guy, Jinx. Don't get me wrong, we're all glad you did, but you gave up a lot and… for what?"

Jinx sighed and began walking again. "Now that's a complicated issue, Cy," she admitted. "I guess I just got tired of hurting people. And," she added hesitantly, looking away. "I got tired of being let down by the people I thought I could trust."

Cyborg frowned. His heart broke for the poor girl.

"But," Jinx added, her voice just a bit more cheerful, "In return for saving his sorry hide, Wally offered to let me crash at his place and I took him up. Now if only I could find a place that would hire an ex-criminal with pink hair I'll be in business."

Cyborg waited a minute before he spoke. "So why did you ask me to meet you back at that diner?" Cyborg asked at last.

Jinx shrugged. "I was bored, and lonely, I suppose," she replied. "Besides, I knew you had today off."

"How on earth did you know that?"

"Wally told me. He really gets around."

Jinx slowed in front of a tall, old building and Cyborg followed suit. "Well, this is it," she said a bit sadly.

Cyborg looked up at the brick apartment complex with its chipping paint and moldy cement. "How… charming?" he commented lamely.

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Oh, very," she agreed.

Cyborg sat down on the bottom step of the small cement staircase that led to the entrance of the building and patted the space beside him. Jinx sat willingly, huddling into her coat, but still feeling frigid. Cyborg eyed the shivering girl for a moment, and then carefully put a muscular arm around her thin shoulder.

Jinx certainly was not used to contact, but hell, he felt so _warm_. She relaxed a bit into the older teen, her eyes closing sleepily.

"Life will get better," Cyborg promised her.

"Mph," Jinx replied, obviously not certain of that.

"So," Cyborg began, "Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

Jinx tried to remember exactly why she had asked him to meet her anyway. "I just wanted to visit an old friend," she answered him truthfully.

He nodded slowly, and they continued to sit, enjoying the relative silence of the cold winter evening.

"It's pretty late," he finally observed.

"Yeah."

"I should get going."

Jinx shifted so she could look up at him. "Did you want to come inside?"

Cyborg considered her offer for a moment. "No thanks, I ought to get back to the Tower."

Jinx nodded, shrugging off his arm so that they could stand. As they got up, Cyborg turned to her and lifted her chin, looking her square in the eye. "Jinx, if there's ever anything you need at all, just call me."

"Sure, thanks," Jinx replied.

"Love ya, Jinx," Cyborg said with a genuine grin.

"I love you too, Cy," she responded, returning the smile. With that she turned and quickly climbed up the stairway, opening the door to her apartment and stepping inside.

When the door closed firmly behind her, Cyborg turned to leave. As he walked in the same direction he had come from, he removed the hologram rings from his fingers, and once again became the mostly machine Titan he was so used to being. He checked the time from his arm, finding it to be a little after eleven. Robin was probably starting to wonder where he was, and the slushy snow he was walking through was ruining his sweatpants. Honestly, he couldn't care less. Jinx was one of his best friends, and whether she knew it or not, he was worried sick about her, and probably always would be.

**A.N.** There you are, ladies and gents, my first Cyborg centric piece ever. Please, please let me know what you think, because I cannot improve without criticism. As always, I am open to pairing requests.

Thank you very much for reading.


	4. Playing with Fire : BBRae

**A.N.** Holy Batman, it's been a long time since I updated this series! Sorry about that. I do hope that you all enjoy this installment. The story is just a fun little idea that I've had swimming about in my brain for a while. I was initially going to build a chaptered fic around this plot, but I finally decided that it was best just left as a brief little snippet. It leaves more to the reader's imagination, I suppose. I would be interested to hear, though, if you think this idea merits a story of its own.

Oneshot number four, pairing Beast Boy/Raven, is entitled "Playing with Fire"

There wasn't much that could take Raven's attention from a good book, but Beast Boy's nimble hands upon her shoulders could be _quite_ distracting indeed. The changeling had moseyed up behind her as she sat cross-legged on the common room's cozy red couch, her brow furrowed as she concentrated on her mystery novel. He had reached out for her as she was puzzling through the storyline (maybe the butler was behind the triple homicide? Perhaps he was the one who had framed the cook…), but against her will, Beast Boy's contact brought her train of thought to a screeching halt. However, Raven was practiced enough in the art of deception to keep her temporary lack of cognitive capacity from her face, and as the changeling's hands began rhythmically squeezing her shoulders, she kept her eyes on her book as if she hadn't noticed his presence at all.

"So tense," Beast Boy muttered under his breath, "And they say reading is supposed to be relaxing."

Raven lazily rolled her head to the right to glance fleetingly at the boy behind her.

"You're up early," she noted calmly.

"Yeah, three cans of root beer before bed'll do that to you." Beast Boy chuckled as Raven rolled her eyes. "Do I get a good morning kiss?"

"That depends, have you brushed your teeth this morning?" Raven inquired. She knew he was blushing without even turning around.

"Ah, maybe I'll take a rain check," the green Titan said sheepishly.

Raven's smart reply fizzled on her lips as Beast Boy's hand worked its way up her neck, compressing it gently in that puzzlingly delicious way he was so darned good at. Sometimes she wondered if she would find the patience to put up with him if his little impromptu massages didn't always have her mind melting into soup.

"It's a pretty day," Beast Boy commented casually, glancing up from the empath for a moment to peer out the common room's expansive windows. The sun was already shining radiantly through a sparse blanket of fluffy clouds, promising a day of great park excursion weather. "We should do something."

"We?" Raven replied, faintly aware that they were about to dive into the same exhausted semi-argument that usually followed Beast Boy's subtle pining for a date.

"The whole team, I mean," Beast Boy covered. He hesitated, but then continued, "Unless you wanted to do something, ya know, just the two of us."

"Beast Boy," Raven began, voice tinged with admonishment, "We've been over this fifty times. You know _exactly_ why we can't formally date."

"I didn't say date," Beast Boy retorted. "Just something innocent. I know you have plans for today, right? I could tag along, and they'll just think I begged you to let me come. No biggie."

"Because a romantic trip to the library or the grocery store is definitely worth having the guilt of tricking our teammates forever on our consciences."

Beast Boy's hands slowed in their ministrations, soon coming to a complete stop and resting on Raven's shoulders.

"You can be such a killjoy," he sighed dramatically, leaning forward until his chest brushed the back of her head.

Raven shrugged. "I've been called worse," she assured him. "Now if you're not going to keep rubbing my shoulders, can you please be quiet and let me read?" She was silent for a few seconds, graciously allotting quite enough time for the green teen to shoot back something witty. When no quip came, Raven glanced behind herself for the second time that morning, and noted the slightly furtive expression upon Beast Boy's face. The changeling cocked his head.

"Rob 'n' Star, heading this way," he announced. "Quick, look platonic!" With that the changeling leapt over the back of the couch, ducking down next to Raven and making a grab for her book.

"Quit it," Raven demanded, halfheartedly gripping the binding of her book as Beast Boy tried to tug it from her hands.

Sure enough, the doors to the common room slid open, granting entrance to Starfire and the Boy Wonder.

"A glorious morning to you both, my friends," Starfire exclaimed radiantly.

"Give Raven back her book, Beast Boy," Robin sighed, leading Starfire with a hand on her lower back over to the kitchen area.

"Darn it, foiled again," Beast Boy said with a wink in Raven's direction, eliciting only a roll of her eyes in response. He craned his neck, peering over towards the kitchen. "What's on the itinerary for the day, cap'n?" he called out.

Robin glanced up from the coffee machine, arms folded over his chest. "Combat practice at noon. City council meeting at five, but as always, I'll probably end up being the only one of us not to beg out of attending." He made a sour face.

"It's also your week for groceries," Raven pointed out absently, trying to find the page of her book that she had left off at.

Robin sighed. "I really don't have time," he replied. "Piles of paperwork don't do themselves. I'd appreciate it if someone went for me."

"I would not mind traveling to the store of groceries in your place," Starfire piped up from her spot at the kitchen counter, were she stood carefully spreading mustard over several pieces of toast.

"Don't bother, Star," Beast Boy said, still lounging on the couch, "I was gunna see if the comic book store got that latest Galaxy Man issue I've been bugging them for. I'll just stop for some junk at the grocery store on the way home."

"Wow, Beast Boy, you've never offered to do someone else's chore before. I don't even know how to react," Robin said sarcastically, pouring out a mug of freshly brewed coffee as he spoke.

"A simple 'you're amazing and I don't know how we would survive without you, Beast Boy' would suffice," the changeling replied, hopping up. "Besides, one of the cashier chicks at the grocery store really digs me."

"You mean Gladys?" Raven smirked, "The one who loves to thrill you with stories about her canker sores?"

Robin snorted. "Just don't screw up the grocery list this time, Beast Boy," he warned.

"Me?" Beast Boy replied innocently. "Never. Hey, Raven, if you come with me I'll even buy your tea for you. I'll only be a minute in the comic book store first."

Raven glanced up from her book at the grinning boy. She sighed and gave him a long, expressionless look.

"I'll go for the tea," she finally intoned.

"Cool. Be ready in five, I just have to grab my cash," Beast Boy said.

"And I just have to set this book in my bedroom. You remember what happened last time I left a book in the common room, don't you?" Raven cast a significant look at the changeling.

"Hey, for the record, I did pay the library fine for water damage," Beast Boy responded, watching Raven as she stood. "And, ah, the acid damage fine too."

"Don't forget milk," Robin called out absently from behind the refrigerator door as the two Titans began retreating from the room.

"Whatever you say, boss," Beast Boy replied, offering a gallant salute to Robin's back that made Starfire giggle.

As soon as the common room doors slid shut behind Raven and Beast Boy, the changeling easily slung an arm around the empath's waist, hand splayed comfortably on her hip. He sighed and leaned his head on her shoulder as they walked.

"So this is as close to dating as we're gunna get, huh?" he mused.

"I'm afraid so, for the time being, unless you feel like braving the consequences."

The changeling shuddered and lifted his head. "I'll never understand what you see in him, Rae. I'm better for you anyway."

"You're better for what you are."

"And 'xactly what does that mean?"

"You know what I mean. You're better for being the flighty, noncommittal… and passionate guy that you are."

Beast Boy stopped walking, and because his arm was still snaked around Raven's middle, she stopped too. He used his arm to pull her towards him and planted a light kiss on her mouth.

"I still say I'm better for you," he offered gently.

Raven's gaze locked with his and they stood together for a few brief moments, but then she easily turned away and began to walk forward again.

"Come on," she said. "We're leaving in five."

Beast Boy chuckled. "So we're both clear on the fact that the grocery store doesn't open for another hour and a half, right?"

"Perfectly."

"And what, pray tell, are we going to do for an hour and a half?"

"Well, we're leaving the Tower, that's for sure. After all, that's what they're expecting us to do." She smirked darkly. "After that, who knows?"

Beast Boy chuckled. "You're so devious. Just one of the many things I love about you."

Raven opened her mouth to reply, but Beast Boy's hand clamped over it before she could speak. Her unspoken question was answered a second later, when after Beast Boy had quickly hopped away from her, a hulking figure rounded the corner.

"Well, g'mornin'," the recently arrived Titan boomed in greeting, recognizing them with a tone of pleasant surprise. He casually stopped a few paces ahead of Beast Boy and Raven. "How's my girl?" he asked warmly.

A hint of a smile flickered across Raven's otherwise blank face. "Good morning, Cyborg," she responded, and allowed him to pull her into a quick, affectionate embrace. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby," he replied. "That reminds me, I wanted to discuss something with you. Mind if we talk over breakfast?" the bionic teen inquired.

"Actually, Beast Boy and I were just leaving for town," Raven replied. "Robin deemed his time too precious to be spent grocery shopping and sent us peons to do his chores."

Cyborg looked between his two teammates strangely.

"That sounds like Rob, I guess," he finally said with a shrug. "Well, I won't keep you if you're acting on orders." He began walking again, but stopped to briefly glance at Beast Boy. "Oh, grass stain, don't forget that we're still on for playin' Speedy in Extreme Tetris over the Internet sometime this afternoon."

"Sure thing, dude," Beast Boy grinned.

The three then parted company, Cyborg walking towards the kitchen while Raven and Beast Boy traveled in the opposite direction.

"You think he suspects?" Beast Boy asked in a subdued tone once they had rounded a few corners and were out of Cyborg's range of hearing.

Raven shrugged slightly. "He's perceptive, but that's why we're careful," she murmured.

Beast Boy made a noise of assent and appeared contemplative.

"You really think he's a nice guy?" the changeling queried offhandedly a moment later.

"Yes, I do."

"Nice enough to let me keep that moped he built me if he found out about us?" he asked hopefully. He deflated slightly at Raven's sardonic laughter.

"I'd be far more concerned that he lets you keep your reproductive organs if he were to find out," she replied coolly, and Beast Boy looked faint. He cleared his head with an uneasy chuckle.

"Like you said, that's why we're careful," he said.

Raven sighed, and as they reached the next fork in the hallway, they went in separate directions.

"Two minutes," Raven called over her shoulder, without missing a step. "Oh, and Beast Boy?"

"What?"

"For the love of Azar, _don't_ forget to brush your teeth."

A grin slid over the changeling's face as he continued on away from the empath, his mood slowly recovering from the sobering experience of contemplating the wrath of a jealous boyfriend. Yeah, any other girl definitely wouldn't be worth the risk he took upon himself for this, and maybe he was just an idiot playing with fire, but he sure as hell wasn't going to stop. After all, half the fun was just figuring out how to avoid getting burned, and the other half was having Raven as his partner in crime. And that was why he risked his green behind every single day, and why he couldn't see himself ever wanting it any other way.

--

Well, what did you think? I'd be tickled pink and honored senseless if you dropped me a review to tell me. Again, sorry for how long this took to post. Hopefully the next installments won't take nearly as long.

Thanks for reading.


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